Museums have a long and fascinating history. "The history of museums is, in effect, the history of the collection and classification of objects," according to author John Edward Simmons, who offers several examples in the fourth edition of the Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences. "Pre-Renaissance collecting in Europe was largely confined to collections acquired by churches, which were the centers of intellectual life. Church collections included not just sacred art and religious objects, but also rare and unusual things such as the bones of giants, griffin's eggs, classical statuary, and artifacts of historical note. Some of the objects in these collections were quite fantastic—the Cathedral in Milan, Italy claimed a hair from the beard of Noah; the Cathedral of Halberstadt, Germany exhibited a bone from the whale that swallowed Jonah; the Cathedral in Brunswick boasted a griffin's claw, personally brought back from Palestine by Duke Henry the Lion."

While the Tri-Valley's treasures do not include griffin eggs nor claws, the region is home to the Livermore Centennial Bulb, the longest-burning light bulb in history, according to the Guinness World Records. The bulb was installed in 1901 at one Livermore fire station and then eventually moved to its current home, Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department Fire Station 6, where it can be seen in person or via webcam. Beyond even that, Tri-Valley cities offer a wealth of opportunities to enjoy local museum collections and historic sites as well as engaging and educational experiences.

Treasures Galore

Danville has several museums of note, including Blackhawk, the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, and the former home of Eugene O'Neill. Blackhawk may be the best-known museum in the Tri-Valley thanks to its collection of historically significant automobiles. They range from the earliest gas-powered auto to a 1935 Duesenberg to a contemporary 2017 Lamborghini Centenario. Since its founding, Blackhawk has broadened its scope as an institution, adding the Spirit of the Old West, Art of Africa, Into China, and World of Nature galleries to its original Classic Car Collection. True West Magazine selected Blackhawk as one of the top 10 Western Museums in America in 2021.

The Museum of the San Ramon Valley in Danville celebrates the city's rich history and heritage. Its permanent exhibit includes local artifacts, an historical narrative frieze, and pictures of historic buildings related to the San Ramon Valley. In addition to a permanent exhibit on Valley history, the Museum sponsors revolving exhibits and several guided tours including the Alamo Cemetery and Old Town Danville. The current exhibit, which runs until May 22, is Her Side of the Story: Tales of California Pioneer Women. "In 1900, The Association of Pioneer Women of California formed and collected the reminiscences of women who arrived in California before 1854 in a single ledger," notes museum officials. "This incredible document, filled with over 800 handwritten stories of California pioneer women and in the collection of The Society of California Pioneers, is the basis for this exhibition."

The Danville home of Eugene O'Neill, the only American playwright to receive a Nobel Prize for Literature, is protected by the National Parks Service as a historic site. According to officials, "The home itself, named the Tao House, contains several of the playwright's personal possessions and provides visitors an intimate perspective of the world-renowned artist's life who chose the Tri-Valley as his home several decades ago." Every year during the Eugene O'Neill Festival, his plays are brought back to life in the form of live performances housed in a small barn on the premises. The museum collection of Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site represents the playwright's life and work from 1937 to 1944, the years he lived at Tao House. The collection includes personal belongings owned by the O'Neills including clothing, accessories, and books, as well as original photographs and personal correspondence.

More than 200 years ago, "Dublin served as the crossroads of two important stage coach routes, one from the Bay Area to Stockton and the other from Martinez to San Jose," according to Dublin city officials. Visitors can explore that history at Dublin Camp Parks Military History Center and Dublin Heritage Park & Museums. Military buffs should enjoy Dublin Camp Parks Military History Center, which features permanent museum-quality exhibits and rotating temporary exhibits, as well as history activities several times a year. The center is a partnership between the City of Dublin and Parks Reserve Forces Training Area. Its current exhibit commemorates the end of fighting in the Pacific, after the surrender of Imperial Japan in World War II, "through the objects, photographs, and writings of those who participated in the war and spent time at Camp Parks."

Dublin Heritage Park & Museums is a 10-acre park that features historic buildings, lawns, picnic areas, and a pioneer cemetery. One notable building is the Kolb House Historic Home Museum, a 1911 craftsman bungalow owned by George Kolb, who came to Dublin from Germany in 1880 and soon after bought Dublin's General Store. The home features original period-style rooms with the family's own Mission and Arts and Crafts furniture, family photographs, and many personal items. Another museum there is the 1856 Murray Schoolhouse, which "traces the journey of Dublin's founders from Ireland to America in 1834, across the plains in a wagon train, and arriving to Mexican California in 1846," according to museum officials. The Schoolhouse features interactive exhibits including a playhouse for preschool-age visitors.

So Many More Choices

Livermore's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and its Discovery Center have long appealed to those interested in science and technology. The center provided visitors with a window into the lab's state-of-the-art research programs with on-site visits that are currently canceled due to the pandemic. Last September, LLNL launched a Virtual Discovery Center. "The Virtual Discovery Center showcases exciting scientific discoveries from around the Laboratory with links to videos, educational resources, and fun facts typically shared while visiting the center," according to officials. "Visitors can meet the wildlife that reside on-site, learn about the Laboratory's research in space or download a comic book that takes readers inside the National Ignition Facility, the world's most energetic laser."

The city is also home to Quest Science Center, which is working toward building a permanent home. In the meantime, it has opened Quest Plaza at Stockmen's Park, a 5,000-square-foot outdoor science exploration and community space. The shaded, accessible Quest Plaza will host Quest-sponsored programs and science events such as Science@Stockmen's Park, which begins April 23 and runs through October. This free, monthly event will feature a different theme and a dozen hands-on investigations for children, teens, and adults.

Pleasanton's Museum on Main describes its mission as "Enriching Community Life Through Education and Preservation" by way of  a variety of programs. The building itself has been used as the Town Hall, the local Police Department, and the first free library in the city. Since 1963, the Amador-Livermore Valley Historical Society (ALVHS) has used the building to protect, preserve, and interpret the history of the two valleys. Upcoming exhibits include Patient No More: People with disabilities securing Civil Rights, opening April 5, and Horse Racing at the Fair, opening June 1.

The city is also home to the Alviso Adobe Community Park, a 7-acre historical site built around an 1854 adobe house built by Francisco Alviso. This rare surviving example of an early American adobe was continuously in use until 1969 but it is not the only thing of interest at the park. “This fully restored interpretative park reveals the history of the Amador Valley, offering a rare glimpse of times past–from its Native American beginnings to the days of Spanish Ranchos managing herds of cattle on the original 12,000 acre Rancho Santa Rita, through a period in the early to mid-20th century when it was a popular dairy and finally its present as a community park,” according to Pleasanton officials.

San Ramon's Forest Home Farms Historic Park is a 16-acre municipal park that hosts exhibits and displays including the Tractor Museum, a Railroad Depot Display, and the Glass House Museum, an Italianate Victorian House built in 1877. Two free public tours of the Glass House are led by trained docents on Saturdays.

Many of the Tri-Valley's museums and historic sites offer online resources to delight visitors who cannot visit in person. Whether in person or remotely, visitors would do well to explore the region's treasures. As the late Wendy Mary Beckett–art historian, religious sister, and BBC television presenter–put it, "Museums, like theaters and libraries, are a means to freedom."

For more information about the Livermore Centennial Bulb, please visit www.centennialbulb.org.

For more information about Blackhawk Museum, please visit blackhawkmuseum.org.  

For more information about The Museum of the San Ramon Valley, please visit museumsrv.org.

For more information about the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site, please visit
www.nps.gov/euon/index.htm.

For more information about Dublin Camp Parks Military History Center, please visit www.dublin.ca.gov/1916/Dublin-Camp-Parks-Military-History-Cente.

For more information about Dublin Heritage Park & Museums, please visit dublin.ca.gov/269/Dublin-Heritage-Park-Museums.

For more information about the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Virtual Discovery Center, please visit virtual-discovery-center.llnl.gov.

For more information about Quest Science Center, please visit quest-science.org.

For more information about Museum on Main, please visit www.museumonmain.org.

For more information about Alviso Adobe Community Park, please visit www.cityofpleasantonca.gov/gov/depts/cs/adobe.

For more information about Forest Home Farms Historic Park, please visit www.sanramon.ca.gov/cms/One.aspx?portalId=10826130&pageId=11666001.